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Shanghai Xingshu launches first constellation of its space-based computing project

By Thomson Reuters Jul 18, 2026 | 5:27 AM

SHANGHAI, July 18 – Shanghai Xingshu Tiansuan Space Technology Co. on Saturday said it had ​launched the first constellation ‌of a space-computing project that in total aims to deploy 1,000 satellites in space.

• Space-based computing means processing ‌data ​in orbit, including ⁠AI and remote-sensing ⁠workloads, instead of sending all raw data back to Earth.

• Xingshu Tiansuan said the launch marked ​a step closer to the commercial operation of China’s ⁠first space-based computing ⁠network.

• The announcement coincided ​with Chinese President Xi Jinping’s attendance ​at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference ‌in Shanghai, where he cast Beijing as the champion of a new global AI order.

• ⁠Elon Musk’s SpaceX, following its February merger with xAI, is advancing its own ⁠space-based ‌computing initiatives, seeking to ⁠accelerate AI development.

• Advocates ​say ‌sending processed results back ​to Earth ⁠rather than large volumes of raw data can reduce latency and bandwidth pressure.

(Reporting by Shanghai Newsroom and Eduardo Baptista; Editing by ​Kirsten Donovan)